Components employed to form various devices such as computing devices often undergo numerous manufacturing operations during the production thereof. Additive manufacturing processes add material to form a component. By way of example, injection molding may be employed to form a component. Conversely, subtractive manufacturing processes remove material from a workpiece or substrate to form a component. For example, material may be machined from a substrate to form the component. In some embodiments additive and subtractive processes may both be employed to form a component, depending on the particular desired final configuration of the component.
Computer numerical control (CNC) machining is one example of a type of subtractive manufacturing process commonly employed to form components. CNC machining typically employs a robotic assembly and a controller. The robotic assembly may include a rotating spindle to which a milling cutter, or an alternate embodiment of cutter, is coupled. The cutter includes cutting edges that remove material from a substrate to form a component defining a desired shape and dimensions. In this regard, the controller directs the robotic assembly to move the cutter along a machining path that forms the component. However, CNC machining may not provide a desired surface finish.
Surface finishing methods and apparatuses are available for creating a wide variety of finishes for a cosmetic surface. Unfortunately, tools adapted for finishing surfaces disposed in tight spaces are not so abundant and may not produce desirable results. In this regard, by way of example, it may be difficult to perform finishing operations on apertures configured to receive connectors (e.g., data connectors), which are progressively decreasing in size. For example, while polycrystalline diamond (PCD) cutters and monocrystalline diamond (MCD) cutters may be suited for finishing surfaces disposed in tight spaces, a resulting surface finish can include cutting marks (e.g., scallops) across a cosmetic surface of the part. Further, abrasive brushes may be employed for finishing operations, but such abrasive brushes may generally be configured for finishing relatively flat surfaces.
Therefore, what is desired is a reliable way for creating a fine surface finish to a surface of a part disposed in a tight space.